Coaxial cable is a typical transmission medium that is used in various modern communications networks, such as CATV networks. At present, installation techniques for coaxial cable can differ depending on various factors, such as the impedance of the cable.
During installation of 75 ohm coaxial cable for example, it is common for a connector to form a positive locking engagement with the center conductor of the cable at the same time as it engages the outer conductor of the cable. Conversely, it is rare for 50 ohm coaxial cable connectors to utilize any positive or locking engagement for the center conductor of the cable. This is because 50 ohm coaxial cable tends not to be a stoutly constructed as 75 ohm coaxial cable, and thus its center conductor would likely crumple or buckle if subjected to the engagement steps that occur with regard to 75 ohm cable.
Because 50 ohm coaxial cable cannot withstand a 75 ohm cable center conductor engagement technique, 50 ohm cable connectors instead form a contact between the center conductor of a cable segment and the collet of the connector via a spring mechanism. However, this creates low contact forces between the conductor and the collet, and although that is adequate for low power signal transmissions, it can permit oxidation, which, in turn, can disadvantageously cause intermodulation at certain frequencies and at higher transmission powers.
Most in the art are aware that intermodulation can occur under these circumstances and have opted to combat the problem by using pre-made jumpers to solder the center and outer conductors of 50 ohm coaxial cable. However, it can be difficult to correctly perform such soldering techniques, especially in a field installation setting.
Therefore, a need exists for a compression connector for coaxial cable that can effect a high contact force between the connector and the center conductor without causing damage to the coaxial cable regardless of the impedance of the cable, thus not only rendering it unnecessary to utilize a soldering technique to combat the aforementioned intermodulation problem, but actually avoiding the intermodulation problem entirely.